Combination telephone stand and telephone directory secretary



May 14, 1935. J. G. HUNTER COMBINATION TELEPHONE STAND AND TELEPHONE DIRECTORY SECRETARY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 1, 19:52

May 14, 1935, J. G. HUNTER COMBINATION TELEPHONE STAND AND TELEPHONE DIRECTORY SECRETARY Filed Nov. 1, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llulll-llllll ll. |||L-.| I l I l l I I m \w -mfimpfi -R NW EHE Patented May 14, 1935 a commute.

2,000,957 1 TELEPHONE STAND ,AND

v 7 Claims. My invention comprises new and useful; im: provements in desks and stands adapted especially for telephone users whereby a. simple, inexpensive and convenient means is provided for. holding a 6 telephone directory and. a telephone in a convenient position for use, the structure being such that it will serve as a desk when in the open position and-as a container for thetelephone directory when closed, there being a hinged leaf that supports a memorandum telephone directory and memorandum pad, which, when-the door of the cabinet isin theope'n position, will assume apart be pointed-out hereinafter. I a

' To the attainment of the aforesaidobjects and convenient position for supporting the I pad or tablet for writing thereonand which is automat ic'ally foldedin' to permit the container to assume the closed positioni 3 g, Further, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved structure having the above char-.

acteristics in which there is a casing having a drop door hinged thereto and provided with braces to'hold it horizontally as a' de'sk,;a shelf being vrigidly mounted in the casing and supporting a 1' paper rack and itselfhaving a grooved portion constitutinga pen and pencil rack; a leaf which is adapted to carry a memorandum pad anda small directory ,in which telephone numbers-Ire quently called maybe kept,;is hingedly carried byflthe'hil ed door adjacent its hinge, the shelf carrying a device that cooperates with the leaf to hold itin useful position whenthe hinged door is o'pen and to deflect the leaf away from thepaper rack as'the' door isfclosed, the, movement of the leaf being under the combined influence of gravity and thatof the moving door.' a

1 Furthergit is an object to provide asecretaryof jthejkind indicated of such construction that a telephone instrumentmay be located within the casing ;.or beolocated on topof the casing outside thereof at will, there being an illuminating means "in theto'p of the casingsod'esigned and constructed [as to illuminate the telephoneinstrumentboth when it is located within the casing and when it is-disposed outside'a'nd on top of the casing. o

i Furthen-it' is. an. object to provide a secretary having the above mentioned characteristicsand in addition, thereto being so constructed that when the casingis closed no light rays will escap'efrom the cabinet or bevisible from the" outside thereoi. Again, it is an object toprovidea new and improved simplified means to hold the ,telephone directory to the inner face of the hinged ,door without its interfering with the hinged leaf and its carried articles during the opening and closing of the door and in a manner to enable the free and unobstructed A turning of the leaves of the book when in use.

Patent N o{1,969,305, dated August 7, 1934,- partic'e ularly in-the elimination of the externallyu. disposed reflector 29 therein disclosed as well astin ends, theinvention still further resides: in,;.the

, novel details of construction, combination and arrangementof parts all of which will be first fu'lly described in the following detailed description, then be particularlypointed" out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:*-- 1 secretary closed.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of thes'ame. I Figure 3 is adetailvertical sectionio'n the' li 33 of Figure -1'withthedoors open: Figure 4 is a'detail vertical section on the line 44 ofFigure 3; Figure 5 is a plan of the top of the cabinet with the top door open. 1 Figure'fi is avertical cross'sectionshowinga modificationof the invention.

In t e drawings in which'like numerals of ref erence designate like parts in all of the ilguresit will be seenthat the secretary comprises a bo'dy which is preferably' supported; at asuitable height by standards I having feet, thestand- 'ards being suitablylcross-braced at 42. The upper extremities of the standards! ma'ycon'stitute the sides 3 9f the cabinet body, the body being come back wall 5, .top

posed of the bottom 2, sides 3, 4+'|'4, and front. I2- l3"'23. I, v

The front of the cabinet body isc'omposedofa fixed front panel l3'and a hinged closure or door 'panels:4''4 spaced apart and a top door be;- "t weenthese panels, hinged at 8 to the back'wall 5. The opposite edges 'ofthe panels are stepped as at 6 toreceive thes'ide flanges Sfofthe door 1 when it is closed'to prevent light from Figure 1 is' a front" elevation of my improved 23,-the closure beinghingedalongthe lower edge within the cabinet passing through the joint. The top faces of the panels 4--4 and that of the top door I lie flush when the door is closed.

When opened, the door 1 is held up by resting against a suitable stop [0, there being a knob H provided on the door, by means of which it may be raised and lowered.

A molding I2 .is fitted around the front and two sides of the cabinet in the plane of the top and adds to the ornamental appearance of the secretary, as well as serving to prevent the escape of light rays under the front'edge of the door I when it is closed.

Beneath thedoor l and below the plane of the top is secured a metal plate IT. This plate is made fast to the back wall 5 and has its front edge resting on a ledge l4 in the rear or inner face of the front panel l3, thus forming the bottom of a well in which and on the plate H a telephone set may be placed when the door I is in the opened position.

The front panel l3 has a recess 15 in its front edge to cooperate with a similar recess 28 in the door 23 for passing thetelephone cord 44 of the telephone set 43 when it is desired to rest the set in the top well instead of'leaving'it in the cabinet.

The electric circuit of the light bulb I8 may be controlled by a suitable switch set into the back of the frontpanel l3 withthe button l5 thereof passed through to the front outside of the panel. The bulb I8 is supported on a suitable bracket l9 and is wholly located within'the. top part of the cabinet beneath the plate ll. I

At each side of the plate l1 and spaced therefrom, suitable reflectors 20 are mounted in the cabinet, and the under. surfaces of the top panels 4 from the reflectors 20 to the stepped edge 6 are inclined upwardly to provide light. passes 22 around and over the side edges of the plate I! to a telephone standing in .the well on the plate thereby to illuminate the dial.

The closure. 23 has a knob '25 by the use of which the closure may be moved to the open and closed positions.

The flange extension 21 of the closure 23 serves to overlie the recesses l528' when the door is closed to prevent light rays being visible from the outside of the cabinet. f

Suitable articulated braces '29, hinged at 30 to the side walls 3 and at 3| to the door 23, serve to hold the door horizontal as a desk when fully opened. 7 V

, Adjacent the hinged edge of the door or closure 23 is a cleat 32 that is fixed tothe door in any suitable way. This cleat performs a two-fold function, namely it serves as a backstop for the telephone directory 49, which is held to the door at its front edge by a U-shaped spring clip 33 that clips over the directory and has one leg located ina bore or hole 34 in the door. The other function of the cleat is to support a hinged leaf.

Rigidly secured to the back wall 5 of the cabinet and at a suitable height above the bottom 2 is a shelf 35 having pen and pencil rack grooves 36 and sustaining a paper rack 31.

Secured to and projecting forwardly from the shelf 35 is a leaf deflector and rest 49 on which the upper free edge of a leaf 39'lies. The lower edgeof the leaf 38 is hinged at 39 to the cleat 32. The shelf 35, leaf 38, rack 3'! and cleat 32 are so designed and correlated that on opening and closing the door 23 the free end of the leaf 38 will not strike'against or engage the rack 31 but willkbe deflected upwardlyand away from the mo The back wall 5 has a hole 4| to pass the telephone cord 44 and the telephone 43 may be contained within the cabinet, resting on the bottom 2, or it may be placed in the well in the top of the cabinet when the top door 1 is open, as may be found most convenient.

A calendar 45 may be mounted in any suitable way on the front wall of the rack 31 and a memorandumdelephone directory 46 and a memorandum pad 41 may be suitably mounted on the leaf 38.

It will be seen that the height of the cleat 32 is less than the distance from the door 23 to the shelf 35 so that when the door is closed the leaf 38 will still incline rearwardly and will not fall forward and interfere with the telephone book 49. I

'If found desirable the plate I! may have an opening or openings 5| in the front, and a front reflector 50 may be provided to reflect light rays over the telephone dial from the front as well as from the sides, see Figure 6.

Other modifications of the details of structure may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the'invention or the scope of the appended claims.

In this application I make no claim to the desk supported telephone and means for illuminating the telephone dial as that constitutes the subject matterof a divisional application filed Aug. 9, 1934, Ser. No. 739,141.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it is thought thecomplete construction, operation and advantages of my invention will be clear to those skilled in the art to which it relates.

What I claim'is:

1. A secretary having a chambered body provided with a door hingedly connected at its bottom edge to the body, abrace to hold the door when opened in i an approximately horizontal plane, a leaf hingedly mounted at its lower edge on the door and a bafile stop located within the body bywhich the leaf is deflected upwardly and away from the back of the body as the door is closed. V

2; A secretary having a chambered body provided with a door hingedly connected at its bottom edge to the body, a brace engaging the door and body to hold the door when opened in an approximately horizontal plane, a shelf within the body, a leaf hingedly mounted at its lower edge on the door and a baffle stop located on the shelf against which stop the upper edge of the leaf lies and by which it is deflected upwardly and away from the shelf as the door is closed.

3. A secretary having a chambered body provided with a door hingedly connected at its bottom edge to the body, a brace engaging the door and body to hold the door when opened in an approximately horizontal plane, a support secured to the door a leaf hingedly mounted at its lower edge on thesupport and a baflle stop located within the body against which stop the upper edge of the leaf lies and by which it is deflected upwardly and away from the back of the body as the door is closed, the support comprising a back stop for a telephone directory laid on the open door.

4..A secretary having a chambered body provided with a door hingedly connected at its bottom edge to the'body, means to hold the door when opened in an approximately horizontal plane, a member. secured to the door a leaf hingedly mounted at its lower edge on the member 75 7 said door as anactuating lever for moving said leaf and also cooperating with said U-shaped clip to hold the directory to the door.

5. Asecretary having a chambered body provided with a door hingedly connected at its bottom edge to the body, a brace engaging the door and body to hold the door when opened in an approximately horizontal plane, a shelf within the body, a leaf hingedly mounted at its lower edge on the door and a baille stop located on the shelf against which stop the upper edge of the leaf lies and by which it is'defiected upwardly and away from the shelf as the door is closed, a paper rack mounted on said shelf adjacent the back thereof, leaving the front of the shelf projecting forward beyond the rack,'the location of said rack and said shelf being such that said leaf will pass up in front of it and clear the same when the door is closed.

6. A secretary having a chambered body provided with a door hingedly connected at its bottom edge to the body, means to hold the door when opened, in an approximately horizontal plane, a shelf within the body, a cleat secured' I to the door a leaf hingedly mounted at its lower edge on the'cleat, and a battle stop located on the shelf against which stop the upper edge of the leaf lies and by which it is deflected upward ly and away from the shelf as the door is closed, a U-shaped spring clip fitted into the door and over the leaves of the directory, said cleat;per-,

forming the dual function of cooperating with said door as an actuating lever for moving said leaf and cooperating with said U-shaped clip to hold the directory to the door, a paper rack mounted on said shelf adjacent the back thereof, leaving the front of the shelf projecting forward beyond the rack, the location of said rack and said shelf being such that said leaf will pass up in front of it and clear the same when the door 1 directory on said closure, said means having a member secured to said closure adjacent one edge forming a back stop for the telephone directory and a -U-shaped clip inserted into ahole in theopposite edge of the closure and over the leaves of the directory to hold it to the closure.

' JOHN G. HUNTER. 

